AT&T, Time Warner feel pressure from Google Fiber
Earlier today, Google confirmed suspicion that it would be bringing its fiber internet and TV service to Austin, TX. This wouldn’t be the first launch of this sort from Google as the company delivered that same goodness to Kansas City a year ago. You had to expect that some of its competitors would be keeping an eye on the latest developments, and a couple have already responded with thoughts.
For starters, AT&T has decided to announce its own fiber rollout in Austin, TX. The location isn’t too random considering AT&T’s roots lie in Dallas. You would think the company would want to start there, but positioning itself in Austin is an obvious chess move.
AT&T didn’t go into detail about exact timing of the launch, cost, geographical feasibility and other issues, but it expects it will have the same opportunity and rights Google has to build out. Google didn’t respond with snarl, either, as the company reinforced its good guy stance by welcoming the competition and innovation in broadband internet.
Time Warner Cable also expressed interesting sentiment today. While the company didn’t announce anything in regards to fiber rollouts, its attitude toward the cause was a lot more pleasing than it’s shown before. It wasn’t long ago that Time Warner Cable justified its lack of movement in the gigabit internet space by telling everyone that consumers don’t want or need faster internet speeds. We all scoffed at the notion, of course, and it didn’t make Time Warner particularly hot on the dating scene for the future of the internet.
The stance seems to have been tweaked a bit today, though, as the company said in a statement to the Wall Street Journal that it is “prepared for added competition and believe that any innovation in broadband technology is good for all of us.” This isn’t an outright pledge to bring fiber to its customers, but it sounds like Time Warner Cable won’t be interested in sitting idly while the competition passes by. It should be a good couple of years for sure.
[via GigaOM]